The Morning After
by Dakk Tribal
Summary: After a night of rough partying, a thunderstorm wakes Aqua and she finds that her friends decided to crash at her place instead of going home. This is the story of a wild morning between Aqua, her husband Terra, and their friends. / Many pairings in KH featured here just for fun, but this story is made for fun, hope you enjoy it. The final chapter will have a surprise at the end!
1. Chapter 1: Terra and Aqua

The first rumble of thunder got Aqua's eyes to open and she gasped. She sat up and held her hands to her chest. Her heart was pounding hard as she looked around the room, and she was able to calm herself a few moments later when she realized it was coming from outside. A storm had moved in during the early morning and it had gotten worse, with some thunder and heavy rain but no lightning just yet. She moved her bluish bangs from in front of her eyes and yawned as she turned to see her alarm clock, and the time read a few minutes past eight in the morning. Just about the right time for her to get out of bed and start her day, though after what happened the night before it wasn't gonna be an easy Sunday.

She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a groan and she felt a weight on her lap. She looked down and saw it was an arm, a well muscled arm to be exact. Her eyes followed it and she saw who it belonged to.

Her husband Terra was lying on his stomach, head on the mattress but still comfortably asleep. The bed sheet was up to his waist, and Aqua had to admire his well toned back as it was bare. She carefully reached out and slowly ran her hand down his back. He stirred a little but didn't wake up. He looked so peaceful despite how wild he had gotten the night before.

Aqua sighed before leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll let you sleep for now."

Usually in the mornings Terra and Aqua got up at the same time, but this time she knew he really needed the rest.

She got out of bed, dressed in black night shorts and thick strapped dark blue tank top, and went out the door while shutting the door quietly behind her.

As she walked down the hall she passed by three other doors, all of which were spare rooms and unless she remembered they were all supposed to be open but were for some reason now closed. Actually the first one she passed was open a crack and she peeked inside. She saw two blondes sleeping in the bed, a girl and a boy. The boy was spikey and wore black while the girl was long and smooth and brighter shade of blonde, and had the sheets covering her. They were both fast asleep.

"Roxas and Namine? Huh...guess they needed a place to stay," Aqua said quietly before closing the door again.

She went on to the next door, and tried to open it. It was locked. She shrugged her shoulders before moving on.

The next door was close to the stairs leading down to the first floor and it was open a bit as well. The overhead light in the room was on. The smell of cigarette smoke made her nose cringe as she pushed the door open further. Sitting in the bed leaning against the headboard was Axel, smoking a cigarette while relaxing and listening to music on his MP3 player, though only one ear bud was being used. Next to him, lying on her side was his girlfriend Larxene. The blond was out as well, the sheets of the bed were strewn across the room and clothing, presumably belonging to Larxene, was on the end board. Axel, dressed in black pants only, seemed to be quite relaxed, like he had a great time and was enjoying the afterglow.

Axel and Aqua made eye contact. He didn't speak but instead gave her a friendly wave. Though she waved back, she also shook her head at the fact that he was smoking in her house. Thankfully he got the message and put it out using his coat sleeve and put the butt in the pocket. She nodded in approval and closed the door.

She tried to be quiet going down the stairs, minimizing the creaking of the wooden stairs as she descended. Once she had reached the first floor she was met with a rather adorable sight. Terra had a large leather recliner near the front door that he used to relax in, it was leaning back as far as it could go, and somehow two people were sleeping in it. Another couple of friends of Aqua's. Riku was the young man with silver hair, lying on his back in the recliner. On his lap was his girlfriend Xion, the quietest and not to mention shyest girl Aqua had ever met. She was sitting in his lap, wearing nothing but a tight black tank top and it was then that Aqua noticed her pants were missing.

 _'Where did her pants go? Never mind,'_ she thought as she pulled a quilt from the back of the couch and carefully laid it out over the two. Xion was going to freak when she woke up but hopefully by then everyone else would be gone. She'd die of humiliation if she awoke now.

Giving out a sigh Aqua turned around to head to the kitchen and she nearly tripped over a heavy object at her feet. She peered down and noticed it was a sneaker and it was still attached to a foot. She saw who it belonged to as well. As if her morning couldn't get any more unusual, Aqua saw that Sora was lying in a heap in front of the sofa, his arms wrapped around a pillow, hugging it tightly, and he was snoring. Aqua had heard snoring a moment ago but assumed it had been Riku.

 _'Why isn't he on the sofa?'_

For her final surprise Aqua saw that the sofa was already occupied. Sora's new wife Kairi was sprawled out on the leather sofa, using her new husband's coat as a blanket and fluffy pillow to rest her head on.

Shaking her head, Aqua finally made it to the kitchen and began to make herself breakfast.

As she made herself some toast she heard some heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. To Aqua's surprise she saw it was her own husband, partially dragging his feet and looking like he had a really rough night. His hair was all a mess too, which Aqua couldn't help but smile at. She was genuinely surprised to see him. Then again, compared to the others he was no lightweight.

Terra noticed her as soon as he entered the kitchen and he weakly waved. "Morning..." He reached into the fridge for something but when his hand got nothing but air he groaned. He pulled his head out of the fridge but raised it too fast and hit it on the edge of the freezer door. He hissed but kept himself from giving out a painful noise before going to the coffee pot. "How long have you been up...?"

Aqua shrugged her shoulders before she popped the toaster down, "Long enough to notice none of our friends went home last night. They're all over the house."

Terra made a glance her way before he looked out into the living room where he saw Riku and Xion sleeping in his chair. He wanted to wake them just so they could move out of the chair, but not only was his heart not into it but he also had a major headache. He had taken a few aspirin to help but he was gonna be sore for the rest of the day. "Oh well...best let them sleep until the hangovers wear off. Thankfully it's Sunday."

"Funny how one night of partying can turn our house into a hotel overnight", Aqua said with a smile.

Terra poured himself a cup of hot coffee before he went to stand next to Aqua. She was a good head shorter than he was even when she was fully dressed and wearing high heels. "So, can you help me recall what happened last night? I seem to be having issues."

She sighed. She knew this was gonna come up, and she was grateful her memory was crystal clear. "We got together with Axel and his crew, as well as Sora and Kairi followed by Riku and Xion. Went to a party around ten last night and it all went downhill from there." She took a drink of her own cup of coffee, and a light boom of thunder came about before she continued. "Axel challenged you to a drinking contest."

Terra's smirk faded, he was now looking guilty. "That's why I have a large headache..."

"Demyx got involved, then Larxene, Sora, Riku, and even Roxas tried to get in."

"Roxas? How'd he fare?"

"Never got anywhere, Namine stopped him before he could even take a sip. Told him he was underage."

"Ouch, but good for Namine to be the responsible one of the pair," Terra took another drink of his coffee.

"There's more. After everyone got hammered we all started a ruckus and were forced out of the party. Despite drinking most of the night Axel had to help me tend to you because you passed out as soon as we left."

Terra raised his eyebrows.

Aqua continued, "We managed to get you to bed and then everyone pretty much just slept where they fell from the looks of it."

Terra tried to recall his memories of the night before, but all he got in return was a few painful jabs to his noggin. Aqua opened the fridge and began to look for something. From where Terra stood he got a good look at his wife. She had her hands on her knees and had her back arched. It was then he remembered that she was a dancer, and had the body to prove it. However, as he looked her over he saw light bruises on her exposed shoulder. Where'd that come from?

She got out of the fridge holding a bottle of Diet Sea Salt soda and set it on the counter next to the toaster. "I remembered we got home around two in the morning. That's last night in a nutshell."

Terra had moved behind her and placed his hand son her shoulders, his thumbs lightly touched the bruises. The tone in his voice beginning to show concern. "How did you get these? Did someone hurt you?"

Crossing her arms over her chest Aqua placed her hands over his, "It's nothing to worry about."

"Aqua."

She sighed slowly, "Let' just say last night, after we got home, you weren't passed out as I thought you were."

"Hmm?"

"Axel and I dropped you on the bed and while I was still awake I decided to take a shower. When I got out you met me at the door. I thought something had happened and when I asked you..." she stopped herself from speaking long enough for her to turn to face him. "I'll just say that you wasted no time in taking me in bed."

Even Terra's alcohol-logged brain was able to figure out what she was implying. "...and that's when I did that to you?"

She raised her hands and tried to assure him, all the while her face was turning red, "Not intentionally no, I mean you were drunk and not able to fully control yourself and let's face it who would at a time like that-hey!"

Terra had turned Aqua around and was look her over, to see if he had left any other marks on her. Sure enough he found a few small red marks on the sides of her neck. Hickeys most likely, judging by how small they were. Yet he also found other red marks that were obviously not on the back of her neck. They were at the base of her neck as well. He ran the tips of his fingers over the marks, feeling really ashamed of himself for doing such a thing to her. Even in the throes of passion he shouldn't have hurt her. "Where else did I hurt you?"

Aqua's hands went to her lower back, "Terra, don't be like that. What happened last night is alright."

"Not to me it isn't. I hurt you. There's no excuse for that."

Aqua sighed and turned again to face him, "You're always so soft and gentle with me Terra. Last night, while there were moments that I hurt, the overall result was the same. You were still the same Terra."

What she said was true, and she hoped that she was able to reach him. The lovemaking they had done was rough at some points but like she had said the result had been enjoyable and he had been gentler to her than he normally had, which he was every time.

Her words did indeed reach him. He pulled her in and wrapped his mighty arms around her shoulders and rested his head atop of hers. Aqua's arms went around his waist and she rested her head on his chest.

For a few long moments they stood together, Aqua could hear his heart beating heavily as the thunder outside roared and the rain fell.

"Just...next time if I get too rough, hit me or something. Okay?"

Aqua pulled herself back and gazed up at him, smiling, "You sure about that? Despite how big you are it's surprisingly easy to knock you out."

He chuckled, "I'm positive."

Raising her hands to his shoulders she tried to raise herself to meet him, but as she was short Terra was happy to oblige and helped pull her up to kiss him. His hands held onto her hips and they melted into each other. He could have held her for a long while but the toaster popped up and he set her back down. Her breakfast was ready.

Though he had set her down, Terra's lips were still with Aqua's until a few moments later.

"I love you," she breathed out, almost huskily.

By this time Terra had forgotten about his headache, and he whispered back, "I love you too."

His hands squeezed her hips and to his surprise Aqua pushed his hands away while shaking her head.

Confused Terra asked, "What's wrong?"

"The only part about last night I didn't enjoy."

She turned around and took the bread out of the toaster, and Terra was still confused, "What happened?"

"Your hand smacking my backside. Multiple times, I might add. I didn't like that whatsoever," she answered before tending to her toast. She'd have trouble sitting for a day or two because of what he had done.

Oddly enough that was the only thing Terra was able to recall from the night before. He shrugged his broad shoulders, "I'm gonna use the rest room. Be right back."

However, just before he took his first step towards the living room he reached his hand out and tapped his wife on the bottom.

She yelped and tossed her bottle of soda at him as he went for the stairs. She missed.

Even then she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

I absolutely love Aqua, and to write about her is a good deal of fun. I always thought she'd make a good dancer due to how graceful she is in BBS. Her relationship with Terra would be about trust and in my alternate universe the two have been married for about five years.


	2. Chapter 2: Axel and Larxene

"Hm?"

Axel raised his chin at the sudden thud he thought he had heard coming from downstairs. A short rumble of thunder was all he got after that, and he relaxed again.

"Maybe Roxas fell out of bed or something," he said with a laugh. That would be just like his friend to make a fool out of himself without ever trying. Well, better for him to make a fool of himself and realize it instead of it happening to him when he couldn't remember. Well, after last night Axel was sure Roxas would rather not remember it.

Speaking of last night...

The red head turned his head to look down at the blond sleeping next to him. Larxene slept with the white bed sheet covered her body up to her underarms, and her shoulders were bare. She was sleeping peacefully, which was quite the one-eighty from last night. She had been really out of control, picking fights with guys she thought gave her funny looks or girls who whispered obscenities under their breath when she was out of ear shot. Whether those things were true Axel didn't know but what he did know was he had underestimated Larxene last night. He discovered that she was quite a hefty drinker when challenged.

Sighing lightly as thunder roared outside from the storm and the rain hit the side of the house, Axel reached into his coat pocket and pulled out another cigarette. He had only been able to have one since last night, and the last one he had tried to have was discovered by Aqua. She had requested multiple times that he did not smoke in her house and he wanted to respect her decision but as he had tried to quit he realized how addictive it was. That and going cold turkey in one week was not gonna cure him. Larxene hated when he smoked too, she always told him to burn his stash lest she'd do it herself.

 _'Funny how she thinks she knows where my stash is,_ ' he thought pulling out his lighter and flicking it open, ready to light it. He stopped when he heard Larxene groaning. She had rolled onto her back, but her eyes were still closed. She was still asleep, and Axel hoped she would remain so for a while longer. She not only deserved it, but he also wanted some time to clear his head.

He popped the lighter and a flame came out, and Larxene's hand grabbed his left wrist.

"...you said you were quitting," she said groggily, her eye lids opening slowly to reveal beautiful emerald colored irises.

Guess she wasn't as sleepy as he had thought. Axel closed the light. "Morning Bumblebee."

She groaned before running a hand over her face. "Yeah, sure..."

She sat up and almost fell forward had she not pulled her legs up and rested on her knees. She groaned again, most likely out of pain and nausea, and closed her eyes again. Her blond 'antennae' were sharp as ever and never lost their shape on her temples.

Axel put his lighter on his leg before he brought it to Larxene's back, rubbing her slowly in a circular pattern. She sighed comfortably.

"Keep doing that..."

He smiled, "You'd best take it easy today. You had a bit too much to drink last night."

"Is that why my clothes are gone?"

"Actually that's because some random jerk threw up on you."

"Okay then," she replied, not at all upset that she was wearing nothing under the sheet that covered her. Typical Larxene. Though there were clothes strewn about the room on the floor and at the end board, Axel had been unable to find his house key and tried to use his own for Larxene to borrow when they left the party last night. They were a bit too big for her and so he had to carry her out of the party. "So...where are we," she asked.

"Aqua's house. I lost our house key so I asked if we could crash here for the night. Her house is big enough," he answered, continuing to rub her back.

Raising her head Larxene yawned, "And we've been here since then?"

He nodded once, "Since half past two or so." He then gave a sly smirk, "You were crazy last night, Bumblebee."

He couldn't see the smile she had on her lips, "I'm curious as to how you think that."

"Well, first off you beat Terra and me in that drinking contest, then you got into a number of fights with some girls and even a couple guys for odd reasons and...What else...oh yeah, then the guy threw up on you and you punched his lights out. We were forced to leave after that."

She stretched her arms over her head, the sheet fell from her chest, revealing her nakedness to which Axel eyed her with glee. When it came to curves, Larxene had the best body of all the girls in Twilight High. She knew this too, but she didn't flaunt it like most people expected her to. If she ever did it was only for her boyfriend. "That so...well, hopefully I didn't punch a cop."

"Nah, the cops weren't called but that would have been funny too," Axel said as the picture played out in his head.

"So, my clothes in the wash or something?"

Shaking his head Axel grabbed his phone to check the time. "I put them in the wash about ten minutes ago. Might have to soak them for awhile to get the smell out of them."

Larxene groaned. That meant she was stuck without clothes for a good long while. Oh well, maybe some much needed bedtime would serve her some justice. That and give her head time to recover.

"Okay so I am stuck like this for a bit. Got to wonder though..." she yawned again, "What happened after we left the party?"

"You mean after we got kicked out? Well, we stopped at our house but after discovering it was locked we went to Aqua's house and after that you threw quite a temper tantrum at how you wouldn't be able to change clothes."

"Temper tantrum? Make me sound childish why don't you," she said moving her legs to the side, her bare feet touching the carpet gave her a ticklish feeling. "Everyone else make it home?"

She stood up, dropping the sheet on the mattress and Axel got a full view of her beautiful backside. "Nope. Everyone stayed the night here. Roxas and Namine are in the room next to Terra and Aqua's. The others crashed downstairs."

"Sounds like a love hotel," Larxene thought with a giggle. She went around the bed, not trying to hide herself from Axel's eyes. He had seen her plenty of times and she knew he enjoyed every inch of her. Least he appreciated her personality and not just her body.

"What are you doing?" Axel said, his eyes following her.

"Take a quick hot shower. Maybe that will lessen the pain in my head."

Axel remembered the room they were in had a bathroom attached to it, and Larxene went on through the door and closed it behind her.

After she was gone Axel got out of bed and began to clean up the room. Though he had slept in the room and the people who owned the house were some of his closest friends he had enough courtesy in him to clean up his messes. He folded the clothes that belonged to himself and Larxene and put them in a pile on the dresser before he put all the bed sheets back on the bed. He also made sure any evidence of him smoking was picked up. By the time he sat back against the headboard like he had before he heard the shower stop running in the next room.

The door opened and Larxene stepped out, her still wet body glistening in the light while steam came off her bare skin. Again, she stood wearing nothing and her body was a magnet to Axel's eyes. The sight of her reminded him of the goddess Venus emerging out of the ocean. She certainly seemed like a brand new woman, that's for sure.

She seemed satisfied with her remedy as well, "That's better."

"Glad to know," Axel said before reluctantly looking at his phone. The weather radar was up and from there he saw that the day was not going to change. "Looks like they're calling for storms all day."

Larxene gave him her trademark sneer, like her perfect mood had popped like a balloon. "Way to rain on my parade, Axel."

"Sorry," he said half heartedly, "But until we find the key we're not going anywhere."

Her lips forming into a smirk, Larxene's demeanor suddenly changed on a dime and she stepped over to Axel and leaned over him, water from her naked body dripped onto his exposed torso.

Axel acted cool about it, tossing his phone to the other side of the bed, "What do you want, Bumblebee?"

She sat on the edge of the bed before placing one of her hands on his chest, a playful smirk on her lips, "What do you think?"

"I think the vapors of the shower took your headache away," Axel said, "And turned you back into the Larxene I know."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm talking about the woman who likes to throw punches and is a hell cat to those who cross her but when she is with a certain someone she turns into a cute little kitten who likes to snuggle."

Larxene pulled back a little, her hand on Axel's chest pressed down on him, "You better not tell anyone that I'm like that." Her words were not advice but not-so-veiled threat. "I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

"Not to worry. I like to keep certain things about you to myself," his hand reached up to touch her cheek, "Besides, I want to stay on your good side."

Larxene climbed on the bed, straddling Axel's lap. She then pulled him to her body, her chest pressing against his, "You better, otherwise you'll never touch me again." She loved being in control, and they were times Axel was more than happy to let her take the lead.

However, he personally wanted to have her follow him this time instead.

Larxene didn't see it coming when she was rolled onto the mattress and Axel was on top of her. She didn't respond verbally, mostly because Axel's lips were on hers the moment she landed.

A few long moments passed with the two traded kisses, neither one wanting to give ground, but it soon became clear that Larxene was starving for Axel when she moaned into his mouth. Bodies were entwined, with Axel's hands on her hips and one of Larxene's legs hooked on his hip. In a move that was so unlike her in a make out session, Larxene's hips rubbed against his. She hadn't been this feisty in a very long time.

Eventually they had to part so they could breathe, but Axel's hands remained where they were while Larxene's were on his sides. Her chest was heaving, her breathing was ragged, and her eyes were half open as Axel's eyes wandered her form he couldn't help but see her as vulnerable, though Larxene would hurt him if he said that aloud.

Larxene turned her head away from his eyes as well as bringing her arms to her chest, "Quit staring at me."

He couldn't help but laugh, "Seriously? That's what makes you uncomfortable?"

"I just don't like it when you do nothing but stare," she replied.

Shaking his head Axel pulled Larxene's arms away from her chest, he eyed her chest hungrily. "Then I'll do something."

For the first time in a while Larxene shivered with anticipation. She willingly raised her arms up over her head and gave Axel full access.

He would have gone ahead too, had his cell phone not started ringing.

Both of them groaned literally at the same time before axel grabbed the phone and answered it. He tried to hide the displeasure in his voice. "Yeah?"

"Hey, I was wondering if you were awake." It was Terra's voice.

"I've been up for quite awhile, actually."

"That's what Aqua thought. Still, it's almost eight thirty and she usually makes breakfast around this time. She wanted to know if you and Larxene wanted something to eat."

Axel rolled his eyes at the notion but then he felt his stomach stir. Guess that answered his question. "Sure but I got to know why you couldn't come and tell me this. I was kind of in the middle of something."

Larxene sighed and placed her hands behind her head, waiting for the call to end.

Terra spoke on the phone, "Well I thought I should call you so I didn't wake Larxene. I heard she can be a bit hotheaded after a hangover. I'd rather not mess with her because of that."

Axel raised an eyebrow. He had an idea. "Hold on a second." He moved to where he laid next to Larxene on the mattress and then he put the phone on speaker mode. Then he placed the phone on Larxene's chest, right in the middle between her breasts. Larxene gave Axel a questioning look but went along with it regardless. "Say that again."

Terra didn't hesitate, "I said Larxene can be quite the hothead after a hangover. Like volcano hot, least from what I have heard."

Larxene huffed at the comment, mostly because she knew it was true.

Axel got a chuckle out of it at least. "Anyway, sure we'll take breakfast. Larxene isn't quite ready to come down yet, so I'll have to bring it up to her when it's ready. That alright?"

"Sure, it's almost done. We got a wide selection down here so feel free to take what you want. See you in a few." Terra hung up, and Axel followed suit.

"That was funny," Axel said, taking his phone off Larxene.

She sat up and punched his shoulder. He groaned, despite suffering a hangover she was still a fighter.

"Asshole. My chest is not for your phone to be set on."

Axel got up off the bed, grabbing his coat as he walked around the bed to get his socks, "I know, but it was still funny."

"Whatever," she grabbed the covers and laid down on the bed. She started to feel the headaches return, "Surprise me with what they got, okay? I'm not feeling picky this morning."

"Sure," Axel put his socks on. He went over to Larxene and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back."

Larxene smiled, "By the way, think we can finish what we started?"

Axel stopped after opening the door, he thought for a second, "Yeah, think of it as a dessert to look forward to."

Larxene sat up, "Sounds good but does breakfast normally have dessert afterward?"

Thinking for a moment Axel smiled, "It does if whipped cream is involved." He gave her a sly smirk.

She sort of nixed the idea though, "Save the cream idea for another time, lover boy."

Sighing but still smiling, Axel waved before heading out the door and quietly closed it behind him.


	3. Chapter 3: Roxas and Namine

A slight knocking on the door got Roxas awake, but he quickly found he couldn't move. He was held in place but by what he didn't know but when he tried to move the grip on him got a little tighter.

There was a couple more knocks before he heard a familiar voice, "Yo, Roxas. You alive in there?"

 _Axel?_

Roxas tried to move again but while it was still tight he didn't give up and struggled. He eventually sat up in the bed and turned to see what was holding him down.

He immediately wished he hadn't.

The sheet that he had been using to cover himself while he slept had been pulled back to reveal a beautiful young woman with long blond hair lying on her side and very much asleep. Roxas knew her very well, as she was his girlfriend Namine, the richest and by most accounts most beautiful girl in Twilight High. But it wasn't just that Namine was with him that got his attention. It was what she was wearing, or lack thereof.

She wore white thigh high stockings, white laced panties with frills and a matching tight white lace bra with flower patterns embedded on it.

Roxas backed away from the beautiful sight seemingly horrified, until another knock from Axel at the door caused him to fall off the edge of the bed. He fell but that wasn't the worst part as when he fell his head hit the bedside table and he knocked the lamp off it as well. Roxas groaned as he laid on his back, nursing what was more than likely a major bruise.

Too bad that wasn't the end of it.

"Roxas!?" Out of concern for his friend, Axel had opened the door.

The red head saw his friend on the floor, but soon his eyes wandered to the bed and he saw Namine. She was sitting up on the mattress rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Axel's eyes went wide before he turned to Roxas, seemingly looking like he was putting two and two together. "Oh...I see."

Namine seemed to have come to her senses. She saw Axel who casually waved at her like there was nothing wrong, and then she saw Roxas staring up at her from the floor. It was then that she looked down and saw she was wearing nothing but her underwear. "KYAA!"

That reaction was predicable enough. So was her next one. She threw her hands over her chest first before reaching for the bed sheet and covering herself with it.

Roxas started to panic, he jumped to his feet, talking to his friend with hands shaking, "Axel, it's not what you think-"

"You know I always thought you were a little slow but even this is faster than I had thought possible," Axel clapped his hands together in applause for his buddy. "Way to go Roxas."

Not wanting to hear any of it, as well as also feeling a sudden desire to protect Namine, Roxas pushed his best friend out the door and literally slammed it shut. He would have locked it for good measure but Axel spoke to him from the other side.

"You gonna fill me in with details later?"

"Go away, Axel!" Roxas' face was a literally apple red, a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

"What? I just wanted to congratulate my buddy on getting himself some. I mean it's about time in my opinion-"

"Not listening!" Roxas replied leaning against the door.

"Fine, fine, fine. We'll talk later. Besides, just wanted to let you know that breakfast is being served. Think Aqua has something for everyone. Don't disappoint her and refuse. I'll be down in the kitchen."

Roxas didn't reply, and he didn't move until he heard Axel walk away. He turned with his back against the door and sighed loudly. The first thing he saw was Namine, still sitting on the bed the sheet covering her now somewhat tarnished modesty. Thankfully she wasn't so upset that she was crying. If it had been Xion in the same position she'd be balling her eyes out by now.

This was not the way Roxas wanted to start a Sunday.

"I am so sorry about all this," he said in a low voice to Namine.

By now Namine was moving off the bed and standing on her feet, now that she was alone with Roxas she was only partially holding the blanket. She gave him a heartwarming smile. "It's okay, I mean, I was just startled that's all."

Roxas tried to keep his eyes focused on her face. The lingerie she wore was tight on her body and her curves, while not as sexy as Larxene was still enough to make his mouth water. However, he tried to keep his thoughts clear and not stare at her. Sure, she was his girlfriend but they had never gone beyond the kissing stage in their relationship. This was a drastic step up from the pace they were used to. This begged a simple question that Roxas felt he had to ask. "Namine...why are you like that in the first place?"

Namine, keeping one hand partially over her chest, tossed the bed sheet onto the bed. She walked over to a chair that was in front of a dresser, where her white dress shirt was laying on the back. "Well, after we got done at the party, the rain started to come down and none of us had umbrellas."

The thunder outside rumbled and this was literally the first time that Roxas had noticed it. "You got soaked?"

"Yes," she put on the shirt but left it unbuttoned, "You gave your coat to me to make up for it but you still suffered for it."

That explained why Roxas wore his pants and black shirt and why his hoodie was missing. Roxas lowered his head, now he was beginning to remember what had happened.

The rain came and, after asking Aqua and Terra, he had decided to spend the night at their place. Namine decided she didn't want to go home and asked to stay as well. After that had been done the storm moved in and the group of friends took shelter in Aqua's house. Roxas must have been really tired because he didn't remember anything more after that. Still that left some questions unanswered.

"So...my coat got soaked, and so did your clothes...so we got those to dry and you decided to-"

"Sleep in the same bed as you. Sorry, I should have asked but I was so tired and cold that I didn't think."

"It's alright it's just that I was taken by surprise. I mean...I've never seen you like this except by accident."

Namine turned to him, "Accident? Oh, you must be talking about that time we went shopping together that one time. That was quite a situation."

'That is an extreme understatement,' Roxas thought to himself. He had been invited by Namine to see what she could wear to the dance the school was having but she had no idea what to wear. She needed a second opinion and seeing how she trusted Roxas she wanted to get his thoughts on the matter. He had been reluctant to say the least, as the store she had invited him to was a well renowned women's clothing store and he felt more out of place than ever. She tried on at least four outfits before Roxas gave her advice on which one to get. He hoped that for her sake-and his own-that that would be enough.

Oh he had wished that was all that had happened .

As Namine was trying on the final outfit Roxas was standing outside the dressing room waiting for her. Some girls from school saw him and assumed he was up to no good. Unable to explain the reason he was there Roxas found himself being thrown into one of the stalls by the group of girls. Thankfully the stall he had been thrown into was with Namine. The bad news was she was in her undergarments when he collided with her. The situation was awkward to say the least, and yet afterward the two went about their day hardly saying a word to each other. Roxas was sure that it was over between them for that, but to his surprise she called him the next day to apologize. He apologized to her and the whole thing was cleared up within a day.

It had been a strange experience for the loner Roxas, he wasn't used to being intimate with Namine.

Roxas went to find his coat, which was on a hanger on the bathroom door. He found it was still damp, and he wouldn't be wearing it for awhile. Oh well.

Namine went over and looked out the window, seeing nothing but rain dampened her spirit. However, she was glad to be alone with Roxas. The shy boy she had befriended not that long ago could not have been more different from her. Roxas, cousin to the carefree Sora, was an outsider who hung out with a rowdy crowd. Namine was a rich girl, upper class, and was respected by her peers and superiors. Yet they were an item, against all odds. "By the way, I'm glad we were able to have fun last night, despite the difficulties involved."

Roxas started to fold the bed sheets he had pulled off earlier, and also reset the lamp he had knocked over. Thankfully nothing was broken, except maybe his pride. He agreed with her, "Yeah, despite Axel and Terra going all out and Larxene beating both of them at their own game."

Namine giggled, "True, but there was also Xion getting into that fight with that girl. I honestly didn't think she could snap like that."

"There's plenty about her you don't know about, trust me," he said putting the covers back on the bed before sitting down on it. He was still nursing his head from earlier. Though he hadn't been drinking the night before (thanks to Namine) he was still groggy and felt as close to having a hangover as possible.

As he cradled his aching head, Namine crawled across the bed and sat on her knees behind him. When he sat up straight again she put her arms around his sternum and rested against him.

He could feel her body pressing against him, and upon feeling the softness of her breasts Roxas found himself blushing again.

Namine sighed into his hair, "You're so warm, Roxas..."

 _'Thanks to you,'_ he wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut. Come to think of it, the room wasn't heated despite it being close to winter, and he only wore his black t-shirt and pants. There was no way he could have stayed warm the whole night and slept comfortably. Namine must have had something to do with that.

"It was cold during the night, wasn't it?"

Namine pulled back a bit, "A bit. The heat wasn't on when we all went to bed. My clothes were still very wet and I didn't want to try to sleep with them on. Even with the covers I was freezing so I thought it'd be alright to get warm next to you."

There was the answer he had been looking for.

Roxas put his hands on his shoulders, and Namine raised hers to touch his. "That's fine. I wouldn't want you to get cold."

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Namine relaxed into him again, "You always put me before yourself, don't you."

Tilting his head as a giveaway Roxas spoke, "I mean-we are together and it's...natural for us to be intimate," he stumbled over his words again, trying to get them to come out in the order he wanted to, and to convey his feelings to her. It was one of Roxas' most prominent problems, to show how he felt even with the girl he was in love with, but to Namine she had taken it with great tolerance. She was a patient girl.

As he tried to give off his feelings, Namine sensed he was unable to get past his usual barrier. She giggled softly into his ear, "You're doing it again."

"Gimme a break...I've been trying to get past it since we started dating. It's a miracle I can even get a sentence out given the situation."

"Just say what you want to say. Simple enough, right?"

Roxas sighed, "Not as simple as one would think..."

"Would it help if I told you what I think of us?"

"Huh?"

Namine moved around and sat next to him, crossing her well shaped legs, "When we started dating, there were many people that thought it was a mistake. I thought it was fine, I mean you were cast as an outsider and you didn't have a problem with that. I was the student council president, a high caliber woman in the eyes of many. It shouldn't have worked. Yet, you didn't push me away and I stayed with you. Not once did I ever think it wouldn't work out between us, because I believed in us."

 _'True,'_ Roxas thought. He had harbored feelings for Namine the moment he came to Twilight High, but he had always thought she was too high and mighty, too far out of his reach. Then he confessed his feelings for her one day and while she didn't seem to be annoyed she did seem to be surprised at his confession. It was only a day later that she requested his number, and after he gave it to her, she sent him a text that requested he go to a cafe with her after school. They had been stuck together like glue since. "I...believe in us, as well. I don't want us to end, but to grow closer."

Namine smiled, "Good Roxas. So do I."

She held onto his hand, and leaned on his shoulder.

For a few moments they remained at peace with the world and not wanting the tranquility to end.

"However..."

Roxas opened his eyes, "Something wrong?"

"Nothing big, but do you think we could try to be more intimate when we're alone?" She replied, sitting up.

"How intimate are we talking about-" he turned his head and Namine moved in to kiss him. Roxas was taken off guard, and he didn't try to stop it. He had kissed her before, but that was usually on the cheek and he was the one on the receiving end each time. This time should have been no different but a full on kiss on the lips was not usual. It was extremely rare, but since they were in a private room it made sense.

Namine pulled back slowly, and Roxas opened his eyes. Her cheeks were flushed but she appeared to be proud of herself for what she did.

Roxas found himself wanting more. "That...was good..." he mumbled, then he finished, "Real damn good..."

She gave another satisfied giggle.

After that was over, Roxas pulled her closer, and Namine found herself sitting on his leg.

"...can I have another?" He asked, not hiding his nervousness at asking such a question.

More than happy to oblige, Namine gave him another, though this one was longer than the previous two. Then she smiled, "Let's have breakfast first, and then I'll give you another...or more."

Roxas smiled. He could hardly wait.


	4. Chapter 4: Interlude

When Roxas came from upstairs he gingerly went about his business, but it wasn't long before Axel opened his mouth. "Hey buddy, had to pry yourself away from her, didn't you?"

"Knock it off, nothing happened between us last night, okay?"

Aqua was making Terra some eggs at the oven, "What's going on now?"

Roxas tried to explain without revealing details but Axel blurted it out, "Roxas might have gotten his cherry popped last night."

Were it possible Roxas would have died of shame. Still he tried to defend himself, "Dude, that's NOT what happened."

"So something DID happen last night," Axel chuckled. "My little buddy's all grown up."

"All I am going to say is she got cold and we kept each other warm. That's all."

"Uh-huh, dressed like she was I don't think so," Axel replied, totally not convinced but he decided to let it go. For now.

Aqua tried to change the direction of the conversation, "Sorry about the heat, forgot about it last night. Glad to know that most of us are up and going after all that happened."

Roxas took a seat next to Axel, "I agree, though it could have been worse, I mean the police could have gotten to us."

"That would have been hell in a hand basket, trying to explain how a bunch of minors got into a party like that. Glad it didn't happen though, I wasn't going to bail anyone out," Axel said, putting his phone down. "Larxene's got a hang over the size of the moon, I don't think she'll be going anywhere for awhile. Would it be okay for us to stick around until noon or early afternoon? At least until our heads are clear?" His question wasn't aimed at either Aqua or Terra but he hoped one of them would answer.

Aqua did. "Sure, just remember to clean up your mess if you make one, okay?"

Axel nodded, "Will do." He turned his attention to his best friend, "Seriously asking though. How is Namine doing? Last I remembered she got caught in the rain."

Roxas leaned back in his chair, "...she got soaked, but other than that she's...fine." He tried to tip toe around any possible sexual innuendoes when dealing with Axel, lest it be used against him in embarrassing ways.

Axel smirked at Roxas when he finished his sentence, but stood up when he heard the toaster go off. "And that is for Larxene." He got up and prepared the meal for his sore girlfriend upstairs. "I'll be sure to bring it down when she's done."

"Please do," Aqua said, getting the next meal ready. "Roxas, is Namine staying upstairs as well?"

He shook his head, "No, she'll be down as soon as she gets her stuff together."

Axel left with the tray of food for Larxene and started to go up the stairs.

Aqua waited until Axel was up the stairs before she spoke, "You can come in now."

Soon enough, a raven haired girl came from around the corner and pretty much tiptoed into the kitchen. Wearing a black hoodie and a blanket wrapped around her waist, was Roxas' cousin Xion.

Roxas noticed her right away, "Morning Xion."

She waved nervously, "Aqua...when will the laundry be done?"

Finishing making a plate for Terra Aqua spoke as she worked diligently, "Axel put a load of clothes in like twenty minutes ago. It's still got a ways to go, Xion. Sorry."

The girl sighed loudly.

Terra was still groggy and had his eyes closed to get used to the light, "What's in the laundry?"

Aqua didn't answer since she was busy, but thankfully Roxas did. "Larxene got puked on so her clothes were put in the washer. Namine got soaked so hers was put in the dryer and Xion..." he stopped to look at his cousin and noticed she was flushed. "Well, she got into a bit of trouble."

"What?" Terra asked.

"Never mind, Terra." Aqua grabbed a plate and handed it to Roxas before turning her attention to Xion. "Want anything Xion? There's plenty to go around."

"S-sure..." she said before stepping into the light. Aqua stopped to ask her what she wanted and then noticed something.

"Wow, you're dirty," she said.

Xion raised her head, "Huh?"

Aqua reached into her handbag and handed Xion a small mirror. Xion looked at her reflection and saw what Aqua had meant. She had dirt on her face and her hair was a mess, no doubt from the rough night and the heavy sleep that came after.

"Sorry..." she put the mirror on the counter. "I got carried away last night."

"It's alright," Aqua replied, "If you want to you can use the shower upstairs to clean up. That should give the laundry enough time to finish."

"Okay," Xion replied, deciding to take the offer. "I'll be back in a few minutes..."

As quietly as she came in, Xion quietly left the kitchen and headed upstairs still holding onto the blanket around her waist.

Aqua sighed, "Well, least she didn't freak out when she remembered she lost her pants."

Terra set his glass of milk down, "Wait. She lost her pants? When did that happen?"

Aqua shook her head, "Last night. You were too wasted to remember. I'll fill you in later."

Shrugging his shoulders Terra let it go. "Too bad the rest of us can't be like her. Xion's got it made with being so nice and quiet," Terra said before taking a bite out of his toast.

"Weird. I thought she'd be more outgoing when she came to town," Roxas said, putting his phone on the table. "Or more so after she hooked up with Riku."

'Well, some things never change. People tend to accept over time,' Aqua thought, but then something popped in her mind. Taking a moment from her kitchen duties Aqua went to the living room and saw that the recliner where Xion had been sleeping was empty. "By the way, where is Riku?"


	5. Chapter 5: Riku and Xion

Unlike earlier the storm outside was getting worse, with lightning flashing like crazy and thunder booming every few seconds.

Xion always liked the rain, the sound it made soothed her mind. Since it was pouring outside she felt more at ease than usual, though it was off put by the fact that she was without pants. She didn't know how she lost them since she clearly remembered that she had them when she fell asleep earlier.

Or at least she thought she did.

'Least Aqua let me know without telling the others, that would have been the worst,' she thought as she found the bathroom Aqua had told her about. Once inside she had to admire the porcelain tub and shower stall, it was squeaky clean and everything seemed perfect. Aqua's doing no less, though evidence of Terra's work in the shower showed how crafty he was. The only thing she saw that bothered her was everything was white, save for the shower curtain which was a mix of grey and black diamonds.

Grabbing a towel from the closet, Xion then went and stood in front of the mirror. She got a better look at herself and noted how right Aqua was.

 _'Better get washed up...then eat something before I head home.'_

Making sure the door was closed and then feeling like it was now or never, Xion began to get undressed. As soon as she was done she had to stop and look at herself in the mirror.

When she saw herself in the reflection, Xion began to hear feminine voices other than her own go through her mind.

 _'What does he see in you?'_

 _'You're just a shy wallflower without any charisma!'_

 _'You made him sink so low.'_

 _'You're not worthy of him!'_

Xion couldn't argue against the voices in her head, as much as she wanted to in reality. Of course, the 'he' the voices were talking about was someone who made quite an impact on her life in the time she had been in Twilight Town.

The so called bad boy of Twilight High, Riku.

From the moment Xion had started going to the school all she had wanted was to go through life without being noticed. To go through school without being popular or even the center of gossip. That was thrown out the window the moment Riku entered her life. He had met her a few times thanks to his best friend Sora, but at first she didn't feel like she was on his radar. Little did she know that he had his sights set on her from the moment they met.

All it took was one bad day for Xion and the next thing she knew she was stuck in an elevator with him. Though the event lasted only for a couple hours, it was an experience that Xion never spoke about to anyone, not even Roxas.

She had tried to ignore the rumors and gossip targeting her, but last night she finally got too frustrated and she let it out on the next person that reminded her. Of course it was a girl from school that was constantly nagging her. However, what made her really go off the deep end was when the girl insulted Riku. Xion let herself go without warning and flung herself at the girl, scratching her face and pulling at her hair. Normally people see a fight and they try to break it up but no one at the party tried to and as a result Xion broke the girl's nose before Axel and Roxas pulled her off.

However, it didn't end there.

The girl tackled Xion from behind and began to tear at her clothes. Her black and silver blouse (which Riku had bought her for Valentine's Day) had been torn in half down the back, and her pants had been torn in multiple places and trying to repair them was out of the question. Mercifully though, Larxene punched a guy's lights out and the group was forced to leave the party.

As the thoughts raced through her mind and she climbed into the shower, where Xion wanted to stay and let the sounds of the storm drown out her negative thoughts.

The water felt extremely great on her skin, and knowing that as she cleaned out her hair and washed out every inch of herself that the dirt and grime were going away made her feel even better. She sighed and closed her eyes before resting her head against the shower wall, the flow of water hit her shoulders and trailed down her back. She was relaxed, and enjoying it until a very loud rumble of thunder came out of nowhere. From the way it sounded it was like it had been right over the house. Xion opened her eyes again and noted that it was darker. The lights were out.

 _'Power's down...?'_ she thought before putting her arms over her chest. The lack of light didn't bother her, she could still see clearly so there was very little chance of her losing her footing. With that in mind she decided to finish her shower.

As she applied some shampoo to her hands she thought she heard a loud creaking and stopped moving. "Hello?"

She didn't get a reply of any kind, and she thought it was just the house making noises, so she returned to what she was doing before.

However, she saw a light moving across the curtain, on the other side of it to be exact. Xion's heart started to pound, not knowing what was going on...

She nervously pulled back the curtain a ways, and saw a silver haired young man walk to the sink across from where she stood.

"Riku?"

He turned his head to just look over his shoulder, "Hey."

Xion let go of the curtain and immediately covered herself with her arms. "What are you doing in here?!"

Though she was safely concealed behind the curtain, with her body only giving off a silhouette and that she was with the guy that was technically her boyfriend, all of this was offset by the fact that she had never been in such a situation like this with him.

"Thought I would bring you a candle or two, since the power went out," he said before setting something else down on the counter. "Also, Aqua offered to let you use her clothes until you're able to get your own."

"Oh...thanks, but you couldn't wait until I got out?"

From where she stood, Xion could make out Riku's silhouette thanks to the two candles he had on the counter. He was leaning against the counter. "I wanted to talk to you, since we really couldn't last night. Speaking of which when I woke up I saw you were gone. How long have you been up?"

"Not very long, I just got in here..."

"You sleep alright?"

'As best as I could...' Xion thought, remembering how she slept on top of Riku in the recliner. She felt heat go all over her body as she remembered how he held her in his arms. That was something she wasn't going to forget anytime soon. "Yes...I did."

"That's good."

Still standing covering herself, Xion lowered her head apologetically, "I'm sorry about last night."

"Actually, what you did last night was pretty awesome," he replied, and Xion swore she heard him chuckle. "You kicked that girl's ass."

"She tore up my clothes..."

"Doesn't matter, you gave her a bloody nose and sent her running," he said with a laugh. "By the way...why did you get into that fight anyway? She get in your face or something?"

Xion didn't say anything. Riku hadn't been with her when the fight had started.

"Or did she do something to one of the others?" When he didn't get a reply, he crossed his arms over his chest and turned. "Xion?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you..."

"Don't make me come in there."

Xion squealed and turned red all over. "WHAT?!"

"I'm joking, but please tell me."

With a shaking hand she pulled the curtain back to expose her face, and seeing him face to face, "She called me names, and told me I wasn't worthy to be with you, among other things."

Riku's eyes narrowed.

"It's been like that since we...got out of the elevator together that day. People say I shouldn't be with you or I don't deserve you. I don't fight or argue with that because I didn't want it to bother me. Last night I was reminded multiple times about it and while I tried to ignore it I was pushed until I finally...snapped."

Riku nodded, understanding why. "I was lonely."

This response got Xion's attention.

"Did you know that years ago I had a crush on another girl? Thought about telling her multiple times about how I felt but it never happened. Eventually though she ended up with another guy and while I thought I could get her back I gave up when I realized how happy she was. So I moved on, but what I hadn't expected was to feel so lonely after that. I tried to hide that loneliness by taking a facade of acting cool and being a guy no one would mess with."

"Riku..."

"Then I met you Xion. From the moment Roxas introduced me to you I knew there was something special about you. After being around you for awhile I came to believe that you were as lonely as me, and when I was with you I wasn't alone anymore. After you agreed to become my girlfriend, I silently vowed to stay with you for as long as you'd allow me. No matter what anyone says, Xion, you're my one and only."

Xion turned off the water, and found herself unable to stop shaking. She felt like she was going to burst with emotion. Riku had never spoken about himself like this to her before, not since that time they had gotten stuck in the elevator. After he had told her how he felt about her, Xion had agreed to enter a relationship with him. She had been nervous at first but she eventually adjusted to it. They got along so well after that it was like they had been together for a long time. Xion was still shy and timid to those around her but when she was with Riku she seemed more confident and assured. People started to notice it too. Even Axel and Roxas noted how different she was in the weeks after the elevator incident, and Xion thought Riku was to thank for that.

"Xion?"

Snapping out of her trance, Xion spoke while trying to calm her beating heart, "Y-Yeah...I'm here."

"You stopped the water, you going to come out now?"

She nodded, "Just wanted to make sure I got it all off..." She wanted to ask him more about his feelings but the storm outside reminded her that she wasn't exactly alone with him at the moment. "Hopefully I did before the lights went out."

"If you wanted I could have helped out."

The tension in the air flat lined after Riku said that.

"Riku!"

From the other side of the curtain Riku raised his hands, "What? It's not like I would have seen anything...unless you wanted me to."

Though they had been together for some time Xion had never exposed herself to Riku. Larxene had advised that Xion 'flash' Riku as a surprise one day and Xion adamantly refused, saying she didn't feel ready to make that step yet. By default she didn't like showing skin but even the thought of being in her underwear around him made her almost faint. The only time Riku ever saw her naked was by complete accident at the pool during this past summer. He never did ask for her to show more than she was comfortable with and while Xion felt that was great and all, there were times when she thought Riku liked to tease her about her modesty. Trying to find a way to retort Xion blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "That's a bit too soon for me!"

From the other side of the curtain she couldn't see his smile. "We've been together for awhile and you've seen me partially naked before."

"You weren't wearing a shirt!"

"What's the difference?"

"You don't have...what I have!"

"You want to get technical I have pectoral muscles. It's a guy thing."

Xion growled, "That's the only difference!"

"I don't think so. Yours bounce."

Her embarrassment levels were in outer orbit now. "H-Hand me a towel please!" After a moment she added, "Now!"

Sighing playfully while holding in a laugh he handed it to her through the opening of the curtain and she took it. Wrapping it around her torso and pulling the curtain back. Thanks to the candles she finally got a good look at him and that was a mistake. She felt more vulnerable than ever as the towel only covered to barely cover her thighs, but with her hair stuck to her damp skin and the water coming down her reddened cheeks she looked so adorable that Riku couldn't help but find her amusing.

"Excuse me..." She said softly.

Riku moved out of the way, and Xion saw that there was a neatly folded stack of clothes on the counter top.

She stepped out of the tub and made sure the towel was tied on before stepping out. Her first step was alright, but as her other leg came out her other foot slipped on the clean floor. She lost her balance and fell, but luckily Riku caught her before she hit the ground.

Xion kept her arms to her chest, "Thanks..."

He helped her to her feet and the light from the candles shined off Riku's beautiful silver hair, but also his emerald green eyes were entrancing to her. Xion put her shaking hands on his chest to help steady herself, though Riku's hands on her shoulders were more than enough.

'His eyes...they do look lonely...' she thought. She gulped some air trying to maintain herself in front of him. While she had made progress since they had started dating, she couldn't help but still feel like a little girl when she was with Riku, especially when he was looking at her with those green eyes like he did now. It made her feel weak in her limbs.

That led to another problem. She gave a hint when she put her arms around his neck.

"Riku...my legs..."

Looking down at her slightly wobbly legs then at her face, Riku smiled. "That nervous?"

His smile made her blush, "You try standing in one place wearing only this thing and try to maintain your composure and-"

Putting his hands on the sides of her slim neck, Riku's lips silenced Xion when they touched hers. Not a warning was given. Her arms dropped to her sides, as Riku was holding onto her, and then her legs finally gave out. By then one of Riku's hands went to her lower back and held her body to him, where he felt her heart pounding like crazy, and they both sank to the floor. They sat together on the rug, with Xion panting once Riku had let her breathe and he was smiling.

Needless to say Xion felt much better now than she had before.


	6. Chapter 6: Sora and Kairi

"You do know sending Riku up there is only going to stall Xion, right?"

Aqua heard Roxas but she didn't mind what he implied. "I think Riku is a great influence on her."

Since Xion and Riku had gone upstairs, Roxas and Namine had come down to converse with Terra and Aqua. The time was nearing ten, and yet the storm outside was still going strong. From the looks of the radar on Roxas' phone it was going to be that way all day. Nothing but gray skies, lightning, and loud thunder. Namine was fully dressed and properly presented with her blouse all buttoned up and her black skirt dried out. Her white stockings were still on her legs and she had slippers. Roxas was back wearing his black hoodie, which was literally like a second skin to him. Both of them had been off and on eating while waiting for Xion and Riku to return.

Roxas put his phone on the table, "So, with rain all day and the storm threatening to get worse, we might just have to stay here for awhile." He looked at Terra, "Would that be alright?"

Terra nodded, "The wind is also supposed to pick up. It'd be dangerous to send you all out there."

"And if it stays like this all day then you'll just have to spend the night again. We have plenty of room so feel free to make yourselves at home if need be," Aqua said before placing a plate of pancakes on the table. Aqua had been able to finish the last batch before the power went out.

Namine's eyes lit up, "Wow!"

"Help yourself," said Aqua, her words going to Roxas and Terra as well.

The scent of the blue berry pancakes drifted to the entire floor of the house, and soon flooded the living room with the enticing aroma.

This in turn stirred those who remained in slumber.

The living room was empty save for the brown haired young man laying on the floor in front of the couch. Sora was a sound sleeper who never snored. This made it easy to sleep around him, and for the girl sleeping beside him on the floor it was ideal.

However, with everything going on in the house there was only so long one could sleep. For Sora it was a combination of the loud thunder and the sweet smell of blue berries.

'What is that smell…?'

He yawned and tried to stretch his arms. Two problems with this. The first being his right arm was under the coffee table. No big deal there. The second was his left arm was pinned to the carpet by the lovely red head that was snuggling with him. His wife Kairi.

'Man…I don't want to wake her up,' Sora thought, wishing there was a way around this.

He didn't have to wait long for it to happen.

Kairi began to stir, raising her head up to see Sora looking at her with somewhat sleepy eyes, "Sora…"

"Morning Kairi," he replied softly.

She got up and sat on her knees, she wore white night shorts and a pink and purple long sleeved shirt. Her hair was somehow still looking good despite that she only got six hours of sleep.

Sora sat up as well, wearing black pants and his favorite red and yellow t-shirt. Turning his head he saw the blanket still on the couch as well as the pillows. "Funny, I thought we slept on the couch last night."

Kairi smiled, "I'm positive that we did…originally."

Sora returned the smile with one of his own.

"Yo, about time you two got up."

Both Sora and Kairi turned towards the back of the couch, where Axel stood with an empty tray in his hands.

"Axel? What are you still doing here?" Sora said as he got to his feet, and then helped Kairi up.

"Gee, don't tell me that you can't hear what's going on outside…" Axel said just as a loud rumble of thunder came in, almost right on cue. "We're in a storm warning, and from what I've heard it's going to get worse. We're all hanging tight until it clears up. You two might want to do the same."

Sora and Kairi exchanged looks, both coming to the same conclusion. Neither of them had plans for the day, except to hang out with friends which was what they were going to do anyway.

"Well, we better take advantage of it," Sora said, and he saw that Kairi agreed.

"Aqua's making breakfast, and you better have some because she ends breakfast at ten thirty."

"If that's the case, I better go wash up," Sora said, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, and try to comb your hair down while you're at it." Kairi ran a hand through his hair as well.

"I thought you liked it spikey?"

"Not, this isn't typical Sora spikey, this is bed hair spikey," she replied with a laugh.

Axel, who was still listening and standing in the same spot spoke, "Just be warned if you use the upstairs bathroom. Xion was using the shower and Riku was in there with her. Not saying anything happened but…you know."

He went on into the kitchen, and after kissing Sora on the cheek Kairi made a run upstairs. Sora shrugged his shoulders and went on into the kitchen. Roxas and Namine greeted him, followed by Terra and Aqua. Sora took a seat at the table, the only spot left open, and Axel stood near the pantry door, looking out the window at the torrential level rain that was failing.

"So, Kairi and I were the last ones to get up?"

"Pretty much so, everyone else has been stirring though not as fast as others," Axel's eyes went to Roxas who gave a silent threat to his taller buddy. He was still fuming about earlier. "Been a hell of a morning otherwise."

Sora looked around the room, and noticed there were a few familiar faces missing. "Speaking of which…how's Larxene and Xion?"

Axel answered, "As expected Larxene is nursing the mother of all headaches upstairs and Xion, despite suffering a major wardrobe issue, is alright."

Within moments of speaking her name, Xion came into the kitchen with Riku casually walking behind her. Xion was dressed in tight jeans and her grey hoodie. The front of Riku's clothes were partially damp but no one said anything, which was more out of respect for the two than anything else. Xion strode over to the table and sat down. There not being any room to sit at the table, Riku stood near the counter.

"Sorry that took so long everyone," Xion said, her voice low and in a near whisper.

Aqua handed her a plate with pancakes and a few pieces of toast, "Riku said you like yours buttered. Hope you enjoy it."

Thanking Aqua Xion went to work eating her breakfast.

Sora finished his meal rather quickly, and by the time he was done Kairi had returned. She was still wearing her night clothes. "The rest of my clothes are at Namine's place, so I'll just stay like this for now."

Xion raised her head. The clothes she was wearing was Kairi's only other outfit. "This was your outfit? I'm sorry."

Smiling, Kairi spoke, "Don't worry, just give it back to me tomorrow, Sora and I will be returning to the Islands in a few days."

Xion gave a look to Sora and Kairi. "What? You guys are planning to leave that soon?"

Sora shook his head, finishing a last piece of sausage. "We try not to stay here for long. It's better that way." Sora's quick explanation was noted by everyone, but no one brought it up.

Axel stretched his arms and popped his neck, "I think we all know why, and so do what you got to do." He started walking towards the exit of the kitchen, "Anyway, I think I'm gonna go see how Larxene is doing."

Another loud boom shook the house, and Xion brought her hands to her ears, a defensive reaction. Everyone knew she loved the rain and storms, but even she got scared by the louder roars of thunder. Axel hardly flinched as he left.

As one exited, Terra spoke for the first time in a long while, "So since you all are staying here for the time being, we should think of things to do to occupy our time."

Aqua went to sit on Terra's lap, and he would have protested but the smile she gave him made him cave immediately. He put a hand on her hip.

Xion made a suggestion, "How about a movie? I mean, Christmas is coming up soon, maybe we should watch a comedy or something."

Sora liked the idea, "A comedy would be good. What does everyone else think?"

Aqua agreed, "I like it. Besides, there's not much a group our size can do stuck in such a house, except have a party," she joked.

"We're already having a party, it's just not like the one last night that we went to," Terra said, hoping to not have a party in the house.

"Seifer threw that party and it was fine until we came along," Sora said, hinting at when he and Kairi arrived late. They had been supposed to meet Terra and Aqua at their house but they had gotten dragged to Seifer's party by Axel's crew. Once Sora and Kairi arrived though, the tension got high in a hurry. This was because Seifer was not fond of Sora in the slightest, something that had been going on for over four years.

The room got quiet, and became almost like a graveyard, with only the sound of the storm outside to keep them company.

"Oh, I just remembered." Aqua got up, much to the dismay of Terra, and she went into the fridge and pulled out a large carton of sweet orange juice. Terra's personal favorite drink. "This ought to make everyone feel better."

Terra didn't seem happy about giving up his favorite juice but Aqua made the call and he let it go. More than once he was reminded that famous saying of a happy wife equals a happy life, and if it made her happy to please her friends he was more than happy to lend a hand.

This diffused the situation and everyone continued on with breakfast. Nothing went to waste and Aqua was only satisfied when all the plates were empty. Once the power was back on she'd clean up the kitchen, if it ever did.

As soon as that was done, Sora noticed that Kairi was nowhere to be seen, so he went to go look for her.

It didn't take him long, and he found her on the front porch, sitting on the bench swing.

Thunder roared and the rain fell hard, but the wind had died down. While the rest of the porch was wet, the spot around his wife was dry, like a wall of divine protection kept her from getting wet.

"It's cold out here and you're wearing shorts and no socks. You're gonna get sick," Sora said, formally announcing his presence.

Kairi was surprised to see him, "Sorry, but I wanted to sit out here and enjoy the rain."

Sora came out and went to sit next to her on the bench, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He smiled. Everytime he was alone with Kairi he felt that he couldn't get any closer to heaven than that.

Yet, even as he was at the gates of heaven, he was troubled. Kairi knew this and she didn't have to say anything.

"Just wish we didn't have to exile ourselves from the town," Sora said.

Kairi knew why as well, "Blame my dad for that one. I was forced out when I didn't comply to his demands."

"Didn't he threaten to hurt you if you didn't? Some father."

"He wanted to beat you within an inch of your life if he ever saw me with you. He told me you were a bad influence on me. Made me more rebellious, he said." Kairi didn't think that way about Sora, she had always thought that he was a better man than her father had told her. After knowing him she came to the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to live without him.

"You always had that independence underneath, you just used it at the right times. Besides, he never knew you like I did, which is why we ran away."

Kairi sighed, remembering when Sora proposed to her they made a deal to run away together since they knew they would never be allowed to remain at their homes otherwise. Kairi's dad had threatened Sora and Kairi left her house in protest after he refused to bless the marriage. Knowing full well what the risks were, the two love birds flew the coup to Destiny Islands with Namine's help, where they had pretty much remained until a few months later.

"He apologized though, so I guess things weren't all that terrible in the end," Sora said, though a bit of doubt was in him. "Though I do have to admit that I wasn't sure in his sincerity."

"Glad to know, I didn't believe him either." Kairi had returned home to speak to her parents about some personal matters and her father refused to see her now that she was legally married to Sora. He apologized to her for not being a good father and that was the last she heard from him. Though the apology had some sincerity, Kairi couldn't help but feel that she had been blacklisted in town because of it. The only place in Twilight Town that she was allowed seemed to be her cousin Namine's mansion (Namine's father was Kairi's uncle and he was more understanding of her situation), located outside town in the woods. But she was strong and didn't let it get to her. She'd rather put up with it and remain with Sora. She loved him too much.

"Least your mom agreed with you."

Kairi laughed, "Yeah, but she wants to keep tabs on me, so I have been sending her text messages since our elopement."

"That's cool, least she likes me."

"By the way, Aqua said something about there being a spare bedroom we can use tonight. One we can have to ourselves."

Sora arched an eyebrow. He liked the idea of privacy with Kairi. He also liked showering her with attention, and he knew that she liked that. "That's good, because sleeping on the floor earlier wasn't exactly what I had in mind for us when I thought we should-"

"Cuddle?"

"Huh?"

"That's what you said last night. You didn't want to share a room with anyone because you wanted to cuddle with me."

It seemed that every couple had this thing that made them unique from others. For Sora and Kairi it was their playfulness and flirty nature. Having been intimate for four years before marrying, Sora and Kairi rarely went all the way. She was adamant about having space and he gave enough to her so she would be comfortable. Unlike Axel and Larxene, who went all out kinky whenever the urge hit them, Sora and Kairi rarely went that far. Sora respected this, as he knew what her comfort zones were and was patient. Kairi in the meantime awarded Sora's patience with what she called 'cuddle time'. This only happened when the mood was right. This was apparent whenever she went to bed earlier than usual, and Sora was not far behind her when this happened. Sometimes they got more intimate than that, but most of the time it revolved around them just being in each other's arms.

Sora enjoyed those times with her, as she was all his and he was all hers. "Let's just hope we don't have another issue like we did last night." He tried to hide his disappointment.

Too bad Kairi caught it, "You were such a good boy last night too."

She started laughing, and Sora remembered what happened last night. Though he hadn't been allowed to have fun with the other guys like they wanted him to, Kairi had promised him that he would have some alone time with her if he behaved. So he was on his best behavior for the whole night, even after Seifer tried to pick a fight with him. Too bad the fights that Larxene and Xion had gotten involved in put the deal on hold and the whole party had exhausted him to the point that when he and Kairi made it to Terra's house they pretty much just slept where they fell. A humorous ending to a rather disappointing night.

"Yeah, I was upset about it turning out so bad," he said.

"Sora, it's alright, we'll make up later."

That made him hopeful again, "Sounds awesome, I'll be looking forward to it."

"You're not the only one," she replied playfully, and it didn't go unnoticed by Sora.

The wind started to get wilder, and Sora felt rain hit his ankles. "We'd better get inside. Otherwise we'll both get sick."

He got to his feet, and Kairi had a hold of his hand. They held hands as they went back into the house.


	7. Chapter 7: The Finale

The second Sora and Kairi re-entered the house the lights in the house flickered before finally staying on. The storm was still terrible outside, but with the power back on then the heaters would kick in.

Aqua was happy with the power coming back, "That's awesome!"

"About time...I was about to get bored," Terra said as he finished dusting his leather recliner off and took a much needed seat in it. It had been the first time he had been able to sit in it all day.

Aqua tapped Terra on the top of his head, "If you were about to get bored I could have asked you to do a few things for me."

"Housework is not a way to alleviate boredom, honey," he answered.

"Never said it was going to be housework, but thanks for the idea for next time," she replied before fixing up the couch. Terra regretted ever saying anything. "Looks like Xion will be able to watch that movie she wanted."

Kairi went and sat on the couch, and Sora followed suit. "What did she plan to watch?"

Aqua put the quilt back on the back of the sofa. "Some romantic comedy. Not sure what the title of it was."

Sora looked around and saw that everyone else was gone. "I suppose Xion is upstairs?"

"She said she'd be right back, she forgot something in the bathroom. Riku went with her since the lights hadn't come back on when she went up there."

A hurried run coming down the stairs made everyone turn their heads, and Xion was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Um, Terra...Aqua, I think we have a problem."

Terra got up very slowly, "Why is that?"

Aqua went and stood next to Terra, "What is it Xion?"

She waved her hand, ushering everyone to follow her, and she went up the stairs. Terra and Aqua quickly followed. Out of curiosity Sora and Kairi followed them.

The four followed Xion until they reached the third guest bedroom, the one Aqua had discovered was locked earlier in the morning. Riku was standing next to the door and he leaned on it, it was like he was waiting for something.

"What's going on?" Terra asked Riku.

Riku put a finger up to his lips to silence everyone.

Aqua asked Xion what was going on.

She got an answer from the raven haired girl. "Riku and I were cleaning the bathroom and when we came down the hall we thought we had heard something once the lights came back on. I thought it came from this room."

Xion went and stood next to Riku.

Terra turned to Aqua, "Didn't you mention that the door was locked?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I thought you locked it because you were storing something in there, but if you didn't lock it-"

"That's not the point Aqua, the point is it shouldn't be possible to lock it without the key. Unless..."

"It was locked form the inside..." she finished for him.

Sora and Kairi backed away as Terra pulled out the house keys. There were only two and he chose the older looking brown one and as he stuck it in the hole a crash was heard that made everyone jump (Xion instantly grabbed onto Riku's arm). However, the crash hadn't been thunder from outside, but something like glass coming from in the room.

Then as Terra started to turn the key, two different voices were heard, but it was indiscernible as to what was being said. More glass breaking and hard thuds hit the walls made it sound like a war was going on in there.

Terra was about to turn the key when the door swung open from the inside. A person came out of the room at a high rate of speed and shoulder tackled Terra back against the wall behind him. It happened so fast that he had the air knocked out of him.

Aqua got a good look at the person, and recognized him instantly. Spikey blond hair and wearing a green Wayfinder necklace, one she had given him when they had gone to school together. "Ventus?!"

Ventus, or just Ven for short noticed his friend and would greeted her accordingly but had to duck to the side as an object flew right at his head. The object was a small glass and it shattered once it hit the wall. Ven hightailed it down the hall towards the dead end near Aqua's bedroom.

"BASTARD!"

The voice was feminine, and as Aqua tried to look back in the room another person came running out and stood over the downed Terra. It was a girl with short white hair and the bangs covered her right eye. At first Aqua thought she was wearing a dress but upon closer examination she saw that it was actually a bed sheet and it trailed behind her like a dress. She also caught a glimpse of the girl's face, and saw a red face that showed a level of anger she had never seen before.

The girl pushed past Kairi and Xion and made a run for Ven, passing the bewildered Roxas and Namine as they stood in their door. She would have made it to Ven had the sheet not slowed her down, but even without it Ven had sprinted into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. A click was heard that signaled he had locked in from the inside.

The girl pounded on the wooden door, her tiny fists making it shake with each hit. "BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

She yelled the same word each time she struck the door but it wouldn't budge.

Another door opened and Axel stepped out, "What the hell is going on out here?!"

The red head saw Terra getting back to his feet, the broken glass on the floor, and finally the girl at the end of the hall. He instantly recognized her.

"Fujin? What in the world are you doing here?"

Roxas stepped out into the hall, and he also knew this girl. "Fujin? You mean Seifer's girl?"

Aqua didn't know Fujin, but she was more worried about her friend Ventus. She hadn't seen him in awhile and now it seemed he was in a mess of trouble.

Fujin seemed to finally run out of energy and leaned against the door, and it was now that she seemed to acknowledge that she was not in a familiar place. She seemed so confused that there wasn't a trace of the anger she had before. Picking up the sheet that was wrapped around her, and keeping her head down, Fujin slipped by everyone and went back into the room she had come from and, ironically, quietly closed the door behind her.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, still trying to process what had happened, until a loud rumble of thunder broke the silence like glass.

Axel sighed, "Well, that was unusual to say the least."

"Hey..."

Larxene stuck her head out to see what was going on, but not knowing or caring what had gone down, she grabbed Axel by the ear and pulled him back in the room.

Axel didn't like this, "Larxene! What are you doing?!"

"Shut up flame head, who said we were done yet?"

She closed the door, leaving everyone else standing in the hallway.

Thunder roared outside.


End file.
